Thermostatically controlled faucet unit



1938. 1.1-: ROY N. HERMANN 8 THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED FAUCET UNITFiled May 26, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I A I'll Oct. 11, 1938. LE ROY N.HERMANN THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED FAUCET UNIT Filed May 26, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 LeRoy/Y. Hernia ne :illlllls w [it Patented Oct. 11, 1938 S 8 U E .D

v A EL- 8 1 PATENT ore-1c]:

'THERM'OSTATICALLY CONTROLLED AUOET .7 UNITVi 1,

I. Roy Hermann, Bismarck, N. Application May 26, 1934; SerialNo.--727-;791 8 laims. (driest-1 2 My invention relates generally-toimprovements in faucets and more particularly to a water mixing andtemperature regulatingfaiicet or valve. The main object is toprovide afancet for use in connection withseparate sourcesof -hot and coldwaterand adapted to "automatically mix and dispense the water from thesesources at any predetermined temperature, and to regulate P the flow ofthe water at this desired temperature. Another object is to providea-faucet of this kind in a simple, practical, unitary form having asingle handle adapted to control both the temperature of the emittedwater and its rate of flow,

each action being entirely independent of the other and accomplished byrotation of the handle in one case and lifting the handle in the other.

I Another object is to provide a faucet including a casing having amixing chamber and hot'and cold water inlets, a proportioning valvecontrolling the flow of water fromthe inlets to the mixing chamber,thermostatic means for controlling the operation of the valve, a handlefor adjusting the thermostatic means to operate at different indicatedtemperatures; an 'outlet valve for dispensing the mixed water in themixing chamber, and means on'the same handle for corn trolling the flowofrwater jthrough the outlet valve independently of the" setting of thetemperature regulating elements; Y Y With these and other objects inview, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangementofparts 'as hreinafter'set forth and claimed, reference being had tothejaccompanyingfdrawings, wherein:-- a i Figure 1 is a plan view of thefaucet; t v Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through the faucet; b,7 g I I Figure. 31s a vertical cross section alongthe line 3 3 ofFigure 2, but showingthe handle '40 lifted; r i 1 Figure 4r is ahorizontal section along the line 4.4'of Figure 3; Y i

Figure 5 is a detached'detail view of the out-. let valve and its'associatedoperating" means; Figures 6, '7 and8' are similardiagrammatic sectional views of the proportioning valve and inlet portsshowing the valve in three positions; Figure'9 is an enlargedhorizontal'section along theline 9-9 of Figure-2; Referring now With'more" particularity to the drawings, my invention comprises a easing'lflhaving a mixingchamber l I in it-s'upper portion enclosed by thecylindrical walls 'llI- and with horiaontally and radially extendedhotand cold water inlet ports l2 and IS in its bottomlll com-'municating at their inner ends with a circular mixing valve chamber l4opening at its upper end into mixing chamber H. The hot andgcold 1111aports I! andl3 are somewhat lessthan diametrically opposed as'shown inFigure -4 and 5 between them a vertically extended outlet port 15 isprovided, same extending entirely through the bottorn' "l and opening atits upper end'into the mixing chamber with a diametrically enlargedannular outlet valve seat IV. The top 10 of the casing is closed by acover plate I6 secured by screws I 6? and madeWater-tight by gasket 16vCentrally said cover plate I6 base, depressed stufling box; or glandsocket ll interiorly threaded at Il -and terminating at its lower *15 orinner end inan inwardlyturnedlip HP having acentralround opening I1 Aproportioning valve control shaft 18 is journaled in and extends downthrough this opening Hate a point adjacentandabovethemixing valvechamber I4 20 and is held in proper position by an annular outwardlyturned flange" [9 at its upper end riding inan annuiar. depressed seatI9 in the lipl'l around said: opening to which said flange is p sed y pak n 2 nthe glan soc et IT. A 25 ,glandiz llthreaded in the chamber l7holds the packing and shaft [8 to place as shown. j

LA cylindrical,proportioning valve 22 is journale'd freely in itschamber 14 and has an upwardlyand axially extending stub shaft 23 re- 30dnced at its upper, end ,23e1lto fit andturn freely 1a socket l2'4j inthe lower end of the control shaft I8. This Valve22 has also a loweraxially extended stubZE tnrningin a socket 25 in the bottom of the valvechamber I' l andin its walls,

the'valvehas two opposed spiral grooves or pas- 'es126 and Z'I'adaptedaccording to the posiv [of the "valve to fully or partly register with1th inletports ligand l3 and conduct the water I 7 from either or bothof'these ports up into the mix- Q10 ing ehamb'er H, Preferably the Wallsof the valve chambenl l from; the mouths of the ports l;2 and 13'upwardto the mixing chamber have "complemental enlargements 26 and 21(see Figure l) designedto register with the grooves 26 '45 and 2] andfacilitate the upward flow of water and to make the'rotatio-n .of thevalve free in its soeketi' -"I"he valve 22 carries aradially extendedstop arm 28 at its upper end'playing between stops '28 onjthebottom 'IIand so positioned, as to 50 limit the rotation of the valve to the pointthat each groove and 21- may be registered fully with its associated hotand cold inlet" ports l2 and. f i i Athermostat 29 inthe form of aspiral coil of 35 cover plate l6.

two laminated strips of metal hav ing 1; lneq la1 coefficients ofexpansion is provided ia'nd theinner end of the coil is anchored to themixing valve stub shaft 23 by screws 29 'while the outer end is securedby screw 38 to a bracket 3| which is secured by screw 32 to the valvecontrol shaft l8 above'the said stub shaft. The thermostat coil thusconnects the control shaft l8 to the proportioning valve 22 and thepurpose and operation of this arrangement will be hereinafter described.7

Preferably, and as illustrated in the drawings, the thermostat coil isdisposed in a recess 22 formed in the upper surface of the proportioningvalve 22. This permits the body to be shortened or made more compact,secures a better action on the bearings with less friction and lessbinding than if the thermostat were disposed above the upper surface ofthe valve 22 The gland 2| has a diametrically enlarged circular flathead 33 overlying the top of the cover plate I6 and provided with anexterior peripheral groove 33 Y A handle pointer or rotary head section34 is journaled freely on this head 33 by a tongue 35 extending intosaid groove and at a diametrically opposed point by a screw 36 threadedhorizontally through the pointer and passing tangentially through thesaid groove as shown in Figure 1. The handle pointer 34 may thus rotatefreely on the gland head but will not become detached therefrom and theextended point 34* may play freely over the face of the Said-pointer atits rear end is depressed or reduced in thickness as at 31 and thepointer forward of this depressed portion is provided with spacedapertured ears 38. Both this rear portion of the pointer and the gland2| have alined bores 39 and 40 axially alined with the proportioningvalve control shaft l8. An outlet valve control rod 4| is slidably androtatably mounted in and extends down through the bores 39 and 40 and atits upper end is slotted at 4 to receive the blade 43 of a controlhandle 44 and pivoted therein by a pin 45. Said blade 43 of this handleis disposed between the aforesaid bearing ears 38 and is pivotallyconnected thereto by a hinge pin 46 so that the handle may be swungupward at its outer end (Figure 3) to exert an upward pull on thecontrol rod 4| without disturbing or moving the pointer 34. To preventbinding at the connection to the rod 4| the head portion 43 of thehandle has a slot 41 receiving the pin 46 and providing the necessaryplay.

The proportioning'valve control shaft I 8 has a longitudinally extendedrecess or groove 48.

intermediate its ends and opening out through one side and above thisrecess has a central bore 49 communicating and registering with thebores 39 and 40 aforesaid. The control rod 4| thus extends down throughthe packing 20 and through the bore 49 into the recess or groove 48.This bore 49 is preferably square or of other rectilinear shape and thatportion 4| of the rod 4| which plays through this bore is ofcomplementary cross section, the result being that by swinging upwardand then rotating the control handle 44, the rod 4| and the controlshaft |8 will be rotated within the casing. At the same time the hingeconnection between the handle 44 and pointer 34, while permitting thedescribed independent upward swinging movement of the former, will causethe pointer to be rotated with the control rod and shaft.

A valve operating disk or plate 50 is slidingly of the handle 44 and rod4| resting at the lower end of the recess 48 as shown in Figure 2. Thedisk 50 has arcuate wings 52 forming a partly circular fiat plateconcentric with the shaft I8 and marginally beaded or rolled as shown at53.

These wings are upwardly and outwardly extended as shown in Figure 2.v

An ear 54 is extended radially inward from 7 the casing wall ll'l aboveand directly over the outlet port l5 and has a'worm threaded opening 54axially aligned with said port. A flat outlet valve 55 is carried by ascrew 56 which engages in a diametrically enlarged worm threaded head 51threaded in the opening 54 as shown. A gear wheel 58 which maybecircular in plan but might be afsector gear is secured on the screw 56,which constitutes avalve stem, some distance below the ear 54 and issufficiently large to extend outward beyond the gear so as to expose itstoothed periphery as shown in Figure 4. The gear 58 is fixed on thescrew or stem 56 to rotate therewith and with the head 51.

Mounted on the exterior face of the car 54 is a valve operating bellcrank 59 which is fulcrumed at its elbow at 68 to this ear. One arm 6|of the bell crank extends inward and is forked at 62 to engage over thebeaded margin of the disk 50 while the other arm 63 extends angularlydownwardly and slightly inwardly and is provided at its lower end withinwardly extending teeth 63 to mesh with the teeth on the operating gear58. Now as the handle 44 is raised at its outerend and the control rod4| thus pulled upward, the resulting rise of the disk 58 will swing thearm 62 of the crank 60 upward and cause the teeth 63 of the arm 63 toengage with and rotate the operating gear 58. The pitch or lead of theWorm threads in the opening 54 and valve stem shaft end 51 beingproperly proportioned, this rotation of the gear will elevate the Valvestem and raise the valve 55 from its seat, the extent of the opening ofthe outlet port |5 thus provided being directly controlled by thedistance which the handle 44 is raised. The teeth on the arm 63 are madelong enough to clear the gear 58 as it is raised by opening the valve55, the upward movement of the arm itself also contributing to therequired clearance. The margin of the disk 50 plays freely through thefork 62 as the shaft I8 is rotated in adjusting the thermostat.

In operation the faucet is connected to the usual hot and cold watersupply pipes (not shown) as by the tapped outer ends l2 and |3e of theports I2 and I3 so that the water enters these ports. The cover plate'IB has an indicating scale 64 calibrated in degrees of temperature fromcold to hot as shown. The thermostat coil 29 is so constructed as to beexpanded or uncoiled by the effect of heat and is so tensioned andadjusted thatwhen the pointer 34 is at cold position on the scale 64',the coil in assuming its normal coiled condition will move and hold thevalve 22 with the groove 21 in registry with the cold water inlet portl3, as shown in Figure 6, so that cold water flows into the mixingchamber H. This water may then be dispensed from the faucet through theoutlet port I5 by simply raising the handle 44 which opens the valve 55as has been pointed outhereinbeforer In this position of the valve .22.the other oflve 1 out of registry with the hot-water inlet port I? asshown in Figure 6, the space between the rooves on the valve beingsuchas to permitthis. Assuming now that the pointer 34 is moved to say100" on the scale 64, the resultingrotation of the p ating shaft I8.(through the action of the rod 4| in the square bore 49 inlthe shaft)tends to coil or contract the stiff thermostat coil 29, rotate saidcoil29 and'causes it to carry the valve 22 around toward the hot water inletport l2 until the groove 26 registers therewith as shown in Figure 8.Hot water now enters the mixing chamber II and covering thecoil 29,causes it to uncoil, u der the heat to whichiit is u j ed, nd move thevalve 22 back toward the cold water port 13 until both ports [2 and 13are partially opened as shown in Figure 7, that is, opened to the properdegree to permit the proper proportioning of the hot and cold water asto secure theresult desired. The water then entering the mixing chamberand, flowing from the passage l when the valve .55 is opened is at thetemperature indicated by the pointer 34. As the pointer is moved furtheraround the scale toward the hot position, it will require anincreasingly greater proportion of hot water in the mixing chamber inorder to uncoil the thermostat suflioientlyto shift the valve until atfull hot position, the hot water port 12 is opened. This position of thepointer 34 through the ressultant rotation of the shaft I8 thus controlsthe position and condition of the thermostat coil and that coil thenautomatically regulates the position of the proportioning. valve so thatthe hot and cold water isproportioned to secure the temperatureindicated on thev scale 64 as will be understood. Of course, the handle44 must be raised todispense the water from the faucet for proper mixingof the water and operation of the temperature controlling means. i r IIt'is thought that further details oftheoperation of the faucet will beevident withoutfurr ther description herein. The convenience-and utilityof the faucet with its single handle controlling both the watertemperature and flow is also apparent. While described herein as appliedto use as a water faucet, the Valve may be used as well as a, controlfor many other liquids or fluids of differing temperatures.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minordetails so as best to construct a practical device for the purposesintended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a device of the kind described, a casing having a mixing chamberand having hot and cold water inlet ports and a common outlet port, arotary proportioning valve for controlling the flow of water to themixing chamber, an outlet valve for controlling the flow of Water fromthe mixing chamber through the outlet port, a thermostat coil exposed toWater in the mixing chamber and connected at one end to the mixingvalve, a shaft 'journaled in the casing and connected to the other endof the thermostat coil, a rotary pointer on the casing connected to theshaft, a handle pivotally connected to the pointer, a rod slidablymounted in the casing and connected to the handle at one end, a disk onthe other end of the rod, and a bell crank lever fulcrumed in thecasingqand operatively connected at one end to the outlet valve and tothe disk at its .other end.

2. In a device of thecharacter described, a casing having a hot waterinlet port and a cold Gil water inlet port, disposed in opposedrelation, a

cylindrical proportioning valve disposed between thev two portsandhaving two spirally disposed opposed r o in, ts f a ap e cr e er withthe corresponding ports, a rotation of the appor oni va v contro lin t lwwater fromsaid ports, a thermostat coil connected at one end to therotatable proportioning valve and exposed to the Waterflowing throughthe casin a shaft connected to the other end of the thermostat coil,manually operable means for rotating said shaft to thereby adjust thecoil and the pro.- portioning valve to different positions, the casinhaving an outlet port, and a manually operable valve operativelyconnected to the shaft rotatpassage through the carrying a toothed,element :operativelycon-- heated to the head torotate it, a bell cranklever having one arm formed with teeth engaging the toothed member torotate it as the bell crank lever is oscillated, the manuallyoperablemeans being operatively connectedto the bell crank'to shift thebell crank independently of-the pro-' portioning action of said means.

4. A faucet, including a casing formed topro vide a mixing chamber inone end thereof,the opposite end of the casing having a hot water inletand a cold water inlet, a rotatable proportioning valve disposed withinthe casing and corn 1 trolling the relative amount of hot and cold, wa

ter admitted to the mixing chamber, the valve being recessed and therecess opening into the mixing chamber, a thermostatic coil disposed insaid recess and connected at one end to the valve, an outlet for themixing chamber outward of the proportioning valve, a valve for saidoutlet, manually operable means having rotative and axial movement andoperatively connected to the thermostatic coil to thereby control theproportioning valve as the manually operable means is rotated, and meansoperatively connecting the outlet valve to the manually operable meansto shift the outlet valve toward or from its seat upon an axial movementof the manually operable means without operating the proportioningvalve.

5. A faucet device, including a mixing chammember axially'thereof butconstrained to rotate therewith; and control means for said outlet valveincluding wedge means movable to advance and retain the valve in theclosed position and a member constrained to move axially with saidcommon control member for imparting such movementto said wedge means,the common control member being. freely rotatable relative to saidconstrained member while said outlet valve is retained in the closedposition. a

6. A faucet device, including a mixing chamber, a proportioningvalve-operable to vary the admission of different-temperature fluidsinto said chamber, a discharge valve operable to control the volumetricdischarge of fluid from said chamber, means adapted to operate theproportioning valve in response to temperature variations of fluid insaid chamber, a common control member having a portion thereof projectedinto said chamber, said control member being both rotatably and axiallymovable, means within said chamber in control of said proportioningvalve and including a member associated with the inwardlyprojecting'portion of said common control member and having freeaxialmovement with'respect thereto but being constrained to rotate therewith,and means within said chamber controlling the discharge valve andincluding a pivoted element disposed between said projected end sectionof the controlling member and said discharge valve, one end of saidpivoted element being constructed and arranged to permit rotativemovement of said end portion of the controlling member with relationthereto but being constrained to move axially therewith and therebyoperating to shift said discharge valve.

- '7. A faucet device, comprising a mixing chamber, a proportioningvalve operable to vary the admission of different-temperature fluidsinto said chamber, a discharge valve controlling the volumetricdischarge of fluid from said chamber and including wedge means inassociation therecontrol member extending from the exterior of thechamber into the interior thereof and movable in two planes, couplingmeans within the chamber betweenthe inner portion of said comferentmanipulation of the common control member, the last-named coupling meansbeing constructed and arranged to permit operation of the proportioningvalve without 'movement of the discharge valve irrespective of whethersaid discharge valve is opened or closed.

'8. A faucet device, comprising a mixing chamber, a proportioning valveoperable to vary the admission of different-temperature fluids intosaidchamber, a discharge'valve controlling the volumetric discharge of fluidfrom said chamber and including a screw threaded means for forciblyshifting such discharge valve toward or from its closed position, meansadapted to operate the proportioning valve in response to temperaturevariations of fluid in said chamber, a common manually operable controlmember extending from the exterior of the chamber into the interiorthereof and movable rotatably and axially, coupling means within thechamber between the inner portion of said co'ntrol'member and saidproportioning valve and operating said proportioning valve uponarotation of the control member, and a second coupling means within thechamber operatively connected to the screw threaded means and to thecommon control member and operating the discharge valve upon an axialmovement of the common control member, the last-named coupling meansbeing constructed and arranged to permit operation of the proportioningvalve without movement of the discharge valve and irrespective ofwhether said discharge valve is opened or closed.

' LE ROY N. HERMANN.

